Mary W. Koks
Shareholder at Munsch Hardt
Mary joined the Firm in 2005 and has more than 36 years of experience in the environmental arena, focusing on environmental litigation, enforcement, remediation, compliance, counseling, transactional and permitting matters.
She regularly represents clients in administrative and civil enforcement cases before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH). Many of Mary’s clients recognize that her strong working relationships with each of these agencies allows complicated processes to move forward more quickly.
Mary also represents potentially responsible parties and landowners in environmental lawsuits including bankruptcy matters, toxic tort, property claims and suits brought under various environmental acts including Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Oil Pollution Act (OPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and comparable state statutes.
In addition, she assists and advises clients on environmental issues in real estate related transactions, corporate acquisitions and mergers, insurance claims as well as regulatory compliance, supervision of environmental compliance audits and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) plans.
Mary’s clients appreciate that no matter how complex a situation may be, she has the ability to immediately clarify and narrow the primary deal issues so they can be adequately resolved. This, in turn, enables her to quickly address the more minor stumbling blocks in a given case. Throughout her career, Mary has developed subject matter expertise and unparalleled experience that allow her to effectively and efficiently represent major clients in their environmental affairs.
EDUCATION
University of Houston Law Center, LL.M.
South Texas College of Law, J.D.
University of South Carolina, M.A.
University of South Carolina, B.A.
ADMISSIONS
Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy by the Texas
Board of Legal Specialization
Texas
U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas
U.S. Supreme Court
PRIMARY PRACTICES
Litigation:
−Energy Litigation
−Environmental Litigation
INDUSTRIES
−Energy
−Environmental
MEMBERSHIPS
American Bar Association, Environment, Energy and Resources Section (Environmental Transactions and Brownfields Committee)
Houston Bar Association, Environmental Section (Past Chair)
State Bar of Texas, Environmental and Natural Resources Section (Past Chair; Current Pro-Bono Committee Chair)
University of St. Thomas — Center for Irish Studies (Board Member)